


The Return of Harry Sullivan

by paranoidangel



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-29
Updated: 2010-04-29
Packaged: 2018-02-07 10:29:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1895739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paranoidangel/pseuds/paranoidangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just when Sarah needs him most, Harry's there. Spoilers for The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Return of Harry Sullivan

**Author's Note:**

> Beta by hhertzof

Sarah didn't look at anyone as she walked calmly back up the aisle, out of the hotel and into the fresh air. It didn't make her feel any better, but at least there was no one out here to see her cry. Except she could still hear the confused voices of the people she had escaped from inside her head. It threatened to drown out her memories of Peter and the Trickster and she didn't know which was worse.

All she could do was to walk away, the back of her hand to her mouth, blinking back tears. Just that effort blocked out everything else and she didn't hear the car pulling up beside her until the driver called out her name.

"Sarah?"

Before she could turn round she took a deep breath, all ready to tell whoever it was to leave her alone, but when she did turn it wasn't someone she expected. Had she been in a better state of mind she would have realised he hadn't called her 'Sarah Jane' and she would have recognised the voice. As it was she cried out a small, "Oh!" at the sight of Harry Sullivan.

He hadn't changed a bit. She hadn't seen or heard from him for years and now he turned up at her wedding as if nothing had happened.

"Are you all right, old girl?" he asked, frowning.

She shook her head, not even being able to muster up the energy to complain at his use of 'old girl'. She took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat so that when she spoke her voice was steady. "Can you give me a lift home, Harry?"

"If that's what you want."

He was still frowning at her - his expression the confused one she'd seen on him often that day they first met at UNIT. But it meant she managed to get in the passenger side before he could make a move to get out of the car and go around it to hold the door open for her. Ordinarily she'd have been victorious about it, but now she said nothing. As Harry drove she ignored him and stared out of the passenger window, although she took no notice of the passing scenery.

She only turned to face him when she realised they'd stopped for longer than could possibly be necessary for a red light. He looked worried, but she ignored that. "Why have we stopped?"

"I can't take you home without knowing where you live."

She did smile at that, if only briefly. "Bannerman Road, in Ealing."

He nodded, and pulled out back into the traffic. "I can get you to Ealing but you'll have to direct me from there."

She nodded. She could tell he was dying to ask what was going on, but she really didn't want to talk about herself at the moment. To deflect his attention she asked, "So what have you been up to, Harry?"

"Oh, you know," he replied but before she could point out that of course she didn't, he added, "Hush-hush stuff I can't talk about."

Usually she could get him to say something at least, but this time she didn't even try and just quietly said, "Left at the roundabout".

After that they both kept silent, except when she offered directions. It was only when they pulled up to her house, he said, "I heard you were getting married, so I had to come back and see what the poor man was getting himself into."

She very nearly let out a sob at that, but managed to bury it with a hand to her mouth and got out of the car as fast as she could. She didn't mind the neighbours thinking she was crazy, but that didn't mean she wanted them to know her business too.

Harry followed her which didn't surprise her. She waited until they were both inside and she'd shut the door before she let him take her in his arms and she cried on his shoulder. She was very glad he didn't ask any questions because she wasn't capable of talking just yet.

When she'd managed to stop the tears she took him by the hand and led him upstairs. He resisted a little and she almost smiled, imagining where he could be thinking she was taking him. She didn't trust her voice just yet, so she gave his arm a tug and he followed her up to the attic.

She sank down on the sofa, head in her hands as she thought about what she'd nearly done and imagined the attic empty of everything alien. Harry put an arm around her shoulders and she was about to say something when she heard the front door and started at the sound. As she sat stiffly, listening, she heard voices. Clyde and Rani had obviously come back with Luke.

The voices went away from the hall and into the lounge and she relaxed. She wasn't ready to talk to them yet. "I don't know where to start." Harry probably didn't even know who the Trickster was, and she didn't really want to go into detail.

"You were going to get married and now you're not."

She nodded. "It was all a trick to..." She bit her lip. "I loved him." Her voice cracked as she said it. "But now he doesn't even exist."

Harry rubbed her back. "I thought you were never going to get married."

"Stranger things have happened." She smiled at him. "My life hasn't turned out how I thought it would at all."

He smiled back. "Nor mine. I had it all planned out and then I met the Doctor."

She gazed at the floor at the mention of the Doctor. She wished he'd stayed. She would have liked to have talked to him. She thought that maybe he'd understand what had happened in a way that Harry never could. And at least she wouldn't have to explain the day's events to the Doctor.

Her gloves, she noticed, weren't as white as when she'd put them on. "I should get changed." And then get rid of the dress. She had no need for it now, and likely never would.

"I should go." Harry stood, quicker than she'd seen him move all day.

She nodded. If nothing else he'd made her smile, which he was good at - when he wasn't making her want to throttle him. "Come back soon." She wished he wasn't leaving so soon - just like the Doctor.

He hesitated. "I can't make any promises."

That wasn't what she wanted to hear at all, but she was glad he wasn't giving her false hope, especially today. So she nodded to show she understood and he kissed her on the cheek before he left.

When he opened the door, K9 came in. Sarah wondered where he'd been, but he did often spend time in Luke's room. He was almost more Luke's dog than hers these days. Having him here helped, so she said, "Good dog, K9."

"Yes, mistress."

She gave him a pat and turned back to Harry - who had disappeared. She wasn't expecting him to go that suddenly, so she ran to the top of the stairs to find he was nowhere to be seen. He couldn't have left that quickly and she would have heard the front door.

"Where's Harry gone, K9?" she asked once she was back in the attic.

"Query, mistress. Who is Harry?"

Sarah sighed. She was sure she didn't usually have to explain things quite this much. "Harry Sullivan. He was here when you came in."

"Negative, mistress. You were alone in the attic."

She frowned. "You didn't see him?"

"Negative."

She looked around the attic, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Was what odd, though, was the neat pile of clothes on the sofa. she was sure she would have noticed if she'd been sitting on them. "You can't be dead," she said to them. "You can't be a ghost." There had to be an explanation. She couldn't face losing Harry on top of losing Peter too.

While she changed she failed to think of one, so she sat down on the steps. K9 had ended up over there and she patted him to show that she didn't blame him for not giving her the right answers. Mr Smith might be able to find out where Harry was and what had happened to him, but she'd never asked for fear of getting the wrong answer. So she was not going to ask today, of all days.

But the thought of him still being here, and K9, and Luke, Clyde and Rani made her feel a little less alone at least. So she could put on a brave face for the people who needed to know she was all right.


End file.
